She was one of the prettiest young women in Israel. He dreamed of her and secretly composed love songs for her. And then, at age of 60 they finally met. Former Israel’s beauty queen Ronit Rinat and the Psychologist Dr. Moti Peleg. The wedding bells are ringing…

By Tzipora Roman
Translated from Hebrew

On January 1964, Ronit Rinat was crowned as Israel’s Miss Beauty Queen. Moti Peleg, a country boy, age 17 from Ganei Yochanan, a small village in the south of Israel was a student in the Air Force Academy in Haifa, when watching Ronit’s striking beauty on a magazine cover, Moti related feeling unexplainable pressure in his stomach. ”I dreamed then that some day I’ll be an accomplished man, well recognized and sought after and I’ll marry the most beautiful woman on Earth, Ronit. “Her Eyes hypnotized me,” said Moti. He kept her image in his heart and soul and through the years composed songs inspired by her image.

Ronit had no clue who Moti was, and never knew he existed.

42 years later, on July 13th, this year Ronit and Moti both at their 60s are going to get married.

Ronit is a widow, mother of three kids, and a grandmother to eight grandchildren, who all live in Los Angeles, USA. Ronit spent most of her years in LA.

Dr. Peleg is a divorced man, who lives in Jew Jersey for many years having a son and daughter from his ex wife Toni. Both children are in their 20th.

The first time Ronit and Moti met was a year ago. But the spiritual connection was set off the first time he saw her. “I never bothered her all these years, I was a secret admirer, romantic and shy” Dr. Peleg said. “She was always in my thoughts, deep in my heart. I believed that some day against all odds, destiny will get us together.”

Thirty six years ago Moti came to America to study Psychology (with broken English, little money and with an unstoppable determination.). To support himself economically, Moti performed and sung accompanying himself with his guitar in local Israeli Midwestern clubs and pubs and Jewish community centers. He became a successful Psychologist, married an American woman he loved and respected and built a family.

“Yet through the years, Ronit’s idealized image was somewhere in my mind as I kept being reminded of her whereabouts by Israeli tabloids and magazines.

“Did your wife know about it?”
Dr. Peleg: “My wife knew I was nuts about Israel and about my Jewish heritage. She was aware of my continuous longing to my family of origin in Israel and to the country. Even my Doctorate thesis focused on Israeli Immigrants whose hearts where torn between Israel and America. My wife had no clue about Ronit’s existence or about my idealized image of her.  I myself wasn’t aware of her existence in my soul. Eight years ago our marriage ended. I’m divorced now”.

Six months ago, Dr. Peleg asked an acquaintance of his to find out about Ronit’s whereabouts, He found out that two years earlier Ronit lost her husband to a long battle with cancer. He also said to Moti that Ronit moved back to Israel and now she is the director and founder of “Council” a non profit organization whose goal is to facilitate a compassionate, none judgmental listening and communicating practice. “She is still a knock out with a compelling beauty! You have no chance…” said his friend.
Moti said “I had to go after my dream. I dared calling her. Within minutes after introducing myself I felt a connection with her. We were like two soul-mates who were lost in space and found one another. There was a feeling of being at home with her.” Moti said and smiled.

Ronit: “When he first called me and told me how much he idealized my image through the years, I thought what a nudge, but he kept calling and calling and I gave him the opportunity to open up more and listen to what he wanted to express. Within a few months, the communication between us got stronger as it felt comfortable to talk to him. I felt mesmerized with a growing pull towards him. A year later Ronit went to visit her family in L.A. and decided also to make a stop in the East Coast and Visit Moti. She was moved by a CD Moti sent her with a song he wrote, composed and recorded especially for her. While on her way to the airport she listened to the song’s lyrics: “Where are you the woman, where are you the girl, where are you the soul I was looking for…”

“The lyrics were compelling” said Ronit.” I had Goosebumps all over my body” Ronit recalled.

“The Woman-Child-Soul was exactly what I was exploring in my workshops and what I always missed connecting to. How did he know it? ”Ronit related that she remembered telling Moti over the phone after he revealed to her of his affection and warm feelings which he harbored for her for 42 years, I told him: “you are in love with an image, a pretty young girl from the past .You don’t really know me, you never met me, you have no idea who I really am. When I heard this song I felt he knew me. I knew I had to see him.”

“He was a successful Psychologist, a singer and a simple person full of charm and with superficiality, but at my age I look for something deeper than that. I also felt that it was important for me to let Moti see the real me, the woman the child the soul and not necessary to focus on the exterior look of the beauty queen. I asked him to join me in Council.

He agreed. In the process of talking we got closer to one another and were able to quickly remove many layers of ourselves. We began to learn about ourselves with no judgment.

Since this first Council, our relationship grew stronger and stronger. Moti joined the Council as he became inspired by the guidance of my spiritual teacher Dr. Jack Zimmerman, the founder of this organization. When I’m in New Jersey, I bring my Council tools to Dr. Peleg for those few patients that might be interested in building new communication skills. We intend to strengthen our skills and spread them in Israel as well.

And now you are getting married?
Ronit: All my life I was looking for a man who can see my soul and connect with me spiritually.  Unfortunately my latest husband had reached this goal only after he got sick. With Moti my connection is very real and exciting. Our story is a gift we would like to share with others and through our workshops we wish to give them the tools to learn more about their inner selves, to let them touch their soul, listen to themselves and to the people who surround them.

Where will you live?
Ronit: Our home base will be located in Israel. Moti will go back to New Jersey every few weeks and will direct the operation of his Clinic, than I’ll join him for a few more weeks and from there I’ll fly to L.A. to visit my children and grandchildren. So basically the emphasis will be on Israel, as we coordinate workshops at the USA as well.

Couples participate in a workshop with Ronit and Dr. Moti.

By Dr. Moti Peleg and Ronit Rinat Peleg

The practice of Ego to Heart invites couples to learn to communicate and listen from the heart, and to experience a powerful connection between body and soul. It is a practice of intimate communication based on “Council”, a format of communication that was originated by the American Indians with the aim of promoting heartfelt communication, reconciliation, and closeness between partners. The practice was founded by Dr Jack Zimmerman, an educator and a pioneer in recreating the ancient process of Council in contemporary terms with his colleagues at the Ojai foundation in Southern California.

Our couples’ workshops, Ego to Heart, are based on Dr. Zimmerman’s and Dr. McCandless’s Flesh & Spirit work. We teach couples how to transform body and spirit into heightened awareness by practicing non- judgmental exchanges, compassionate and mindful listening, and spontaneous heartfelt expressions. This transformation involves shifting from a self-focused and self-indulgent perspective that prioritizes “Me” and the ego, to the mindfulness of a relationship that prioritizes “We” and a deeper soul connection. The practice of Ego to Heart embraces humility and a compassionate intuitive listening which in turn brings inner truth, increased intimacy, and a more purposeful existence.

As a licensed psychologist in private practice for over thirty years, and Ronit, who is a founder and National Director of Council in Israel where she facilitates, trains, and mentors people who are learning the Council practice, we owe our deepening relationship and life’s path to the practice of Council and to the process of Flesh & Spirit. We have studied under the direction of Dr. Jack Zimmerman and his wife, Dr. Jacquelyn McCandless, the authors of the book, Flesh and Spirit: The Mystery Of Intimate Relationship (Bramble Books, 1998). Our intimate bond is a unique combination of love and destiny that was highlighted on The Oprah Winfrey Show in an episode called, “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.”

In our couples’ workshops, our teaching is based on our personal story, a journey of finding ourselves, our destined relationship, and embarking upon the path that has led us to fulfill our life’s purpose. Our goal is to help individual partners in the relationship to practice tools of listening intuitively to each other and to the “voice of the relationship”, an entity existing as a third consciousness in the relationship and representing authentically the union beyond the limitations of the individual personalities and egos. The voice of the relationship serves as a neutral witness with a pure perspective that opens up a spontaneous heartfelt communication between couples, helping to heal the relationship by giving voice to what the relationship needs. In the process, the partners open themselves up to the mystery of wholeness and deep bonding.

In our workshops, we facilitate an adventurous process that connects couples to the mystery, the hidden and the imaginary realm, where deep intimacy and soul connectedness are at reach. We offer couples a way to expand non-judgmental, compassionate, and mindful listening with spontaneous and heartfelt expression, using the same practices that have deepened our intimate relationship — meditation, dream work, shadow practice and synchronistic awareness. We also offer tools such as intuitive listening to nature, to the voice of the inner child, as well as to the voice of the masculine, the feminine, and ultimately to the voice of the relationship, which helps couples find their true inner voices.

The Ego to Heart practice is capable of turning a relationship that is combative or one that has lost its passion into a more energetically rejuvenated union.

“All of me is waiting for you to touch the center of me with the center of you.” —Georgia O’Keefe

“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along” — Rumi

40 years ago Moti stated: “Ronit Rinat will be my wife.”

Ronit Rinat was only 18 when she was crowed as Israel beauty queen and second runner to Miss Universe back then at 1964. Moti Peleg was 17 years old when he first saw her picture in the Israeli Magazine “La-Isha”. He promised himself that she will be his. Although they never met and each of them continued with their lives and established their own families, Moti who idealized her image did not forget the dream.

Two years ago Ronit and Moti got married like in a fairy tale story.

By: Ziv Reinstein
10/06/08
Translated from Hebrew

The year was 1964: Ronit Rinat 18 years old from the city of Haifa in Northen Israel was crowned as Israel beauty queen and later became the second runner up to Miss Universe. Ronit planed to be a teacher but some how found herself in the Israel’s beauty contest ,when following a friend that introduced her to a woman in charge of a modeling agency. After her photo with a bikini was published in a Newspaper, Ronit was asked to leave the Teacher’s College. This loss led her on the path of becoming a beauty queen and subsequently opening a way to a journey around the world. 
Moti Peleg, a 17 years old teenager, a romantic young man and a dreamer, was drown to her striking green blue eyes appearing on a magazine front cover. He than said to himself” This woman would some day be mine.”

“Something happened to me because of those eyes” tells us Moti in an overseas phone interview ”I always knew it was against all odds, but I was a dreamer with much patience. I’m usually a person that makes his dreams come true.” His soul was magnetized by her green blue eyes that for many years became for him a light house of hope.

Moti is 61 now. He was born in Poland and immigrated to Israel at age three. He is the first born son to Holocaust surviving parents. He came to America following his academic dream to become a psychologist, is also known, as an Israeli singing artist. He loves to sing, and compose songs. As a son of holocaust survivors whose entire family was annihilated in the Holocaust it was extremely important for him to succeed in life, as a token for the family that did not survive.

While a student he supported himself by performing in Israeli clubs and Jewish community centers in the metropolitan New York.

In his imagination he kept envisioning Ronit seating in the front row in one of his shows, listening to his songs and falling madly in love with him.

But that did not happen. He married an American woman that he met in Israel who become the mother of his 2 children. After 23 years of marriage Moti got divorced. “Though I loved her and respected her, I felt something was missing in my relationship” says Moti.

During all these years, Dr. Peleg ran a psychological center in Ridgewood, NJ, had several short term relationships and did not give up his dream about bonding with Ronit.

A grandmother to eight grandchildren
At the same time, Ronit, (62 today), traveled the world as a beauty queen representing her country as a good will ambassador. While visiting the USA she met her husband to be, Dr. Jack Weintraub, an established Gynecologist from Beverly Hills, Calif. He sent her flowers to every hotel she visited in her tours as a beauty queen, asking her to marry him, but Ronit refused. She wanted to go back to Israel and serve in the Israeli army. A year later while she was a soldier in the Israeli army, Dr. Weintraub came to visit her in Israel, met her parents and family and proposed to her. Her parents were very positive about this match and gave their blessings. Ten days later they married.

It seemed she was going to have a perfect life. Ronit moved to L.A. lived in a beautiful mansion, and gave birth to three children. Yet somehow she felt she lived in a “golden cage.” She longed for an understanding soul mate and a passionate lover who would make her feel complete. She felt that she was living a superficial life, feeling emptiness and constantly waiting for a more positive change to occur.

Ronit and Jack were married more than 30 years. “There was love” she says. She put her time into her children’s well being, into her glamorous house in Beverly Hills and into her husband who adored her. She was torn between the material abundance she enjoyed and the inner voice that pulled her to run away from it all and seek a deeper meaningful existence.

Years went by and though only five hours flight separate between the two, Moti never took any steps to contact Ronit. He learned from reading the tabloids that she was happily married and subsequently he never intended to interfere with her life. In 2001 her husband Jack who was diagnosed with cancer earlier passed away. Several months after his passing Ronit made a decision to leave everything behind her including her three beloved adult children and eight grandchildren and to go back to Israel.

She brought with her to Israel a communication practice called “council” which she learned from her mentor, educator Jack Zimmerman. She found “council” when searching for a deeper meaning in her life. This practice became a significant part of her life. She was determent to share the council practice in Israel. (None judgmental heartfelt communication practice)  (See council web site; www.hakshava.org)

Dr. Peleg heard that Ronit became a widow and returned to Israel. He kept on writing love songs while her image remained in his mind. Three years later he decided that it was time to transform his dream into reality.

The phone call that changed Ronit’s life
One day Ronit received a phone call from a stranger, a call that changed her life. The caller related to her that he knows a man that has been dreaming about her for over 40 years. She was tempted to hang up the phone, yet something kept her on the line. It was the realization that the name of the caller was identical to a name of a close friend of hers from the past. She than asked about the romantic admirer and was told that his name was Dr. Moti Peleg. Ronit felt she got a sign from the universe that must be paid attention to. Subsequently she gave permission to the caller to give her number to Dr. Peleg, the man that kept her image in his heart for many years.

Later on when consulting with her psychic about the man that harbored these strong feelings for her for nearly half a century, he told her “This man is your soul mate of which you yearned for through the years. He is your eternal love and your future husband.”

When Moti called her and told her that he felt she was his soul mate and that she would become his wife Ronit laughed. “I’m a grandmother of eight, I have three children” Ronit replied to Moti. “All you have is an image of me, a picture of me from 40 years ago. I’m a grown-up woman now”. But Moti kept on telling her “this is the real deal and they are meant to be together”.
As a romantic determined man, Moti didn’t let go, He wrote her songs, sent her love letters, communicated to her via E mails and called her until Ronit agreed to meet him.

“The song lyrics captured my soul”
Ronit was about to fly to L.A to visit her children and grandchildren when she received a CD from Moti. As she listened to his recorded voice and music that was written and composed by him for her, she began to cry. His voice and the lyrics were compelling. She said”the lyrics and the song talked to my soul. I had to meet that man. ”Moti sang” Where are you woman, where are you my girl, where are you the soul I was looking for…”Moti said “the song indicated to her that she was communicated to from above. She felt that she received a sign indicating that this must be the soul mate she had been waiting for.”

On New Years Eve of 2004, Ronit made a decision to meet with the man that waited for her over 40 years. She flew to New York to meet with Moti. In spite of the signs that guided and directed her to meet with him she remained tense. However on  the eve of New year 2004 they finally met. Moti said “I came to pick her up from the airport. Earlier that day I decorated the house with tons of flowers. I warmed up the Jacuzzi room, lit my romantic candles and prepared bottles of wine and champagne. He said” frankly, I was very nervous. I was afraid she won’t like the way I looked, or the way I dressed. For a moment I felt the need to put a blanket over my face .That is how self conscious I was”. However as soon as he saw the beautiful blond with that striking familiar eyes (which he saw in the tabloids and the magazines) approaching him, he was ready to embrace her.
They fell into each other arms and hugged for a long minute.

It was far beyond a meaningless encounter “we were making love”
When Ronit arrived to Moti’s home, she all of a sudden got cold feet and wished to go back home. But Moti in his compassionate yet determined way, talked to her heart, attempting to make her feel comfortable. Then Ronit suddenly asked him to have a council with her. ”Let us see what might happen” she said. He agreed, even though as a Psychologist this practice was not familiar to him “In retrospect this precious hours of a heart to heart communication saved our relationship that night,” said Moti. “We talked over three hours and got to know one another intimately from a soul level. We ended up making love and it was so deeply intimate, passionate, and exceptionally real!”

“We knew a miracle is happing right before our eyes”
After returning to Israel, Ronit came back to see Moti again and again for additional days filled with love, bonding and further heart felt conversations into the nights. Ronit felt she started to live again. Less than one year later at one of the beautiful parks on the Hudson River Moti proposed to Ronit.

On July 13, 2006 they got married in the Carmel forest in Israel. For both Moti and Ronit their dream finally came true.

“Through the light in her eyes”
This compelling love did not go unnoticed by the media. The story drew the attention of Oprah Winfrey’s producers and she hosted them in her show ’the greatest love stories ever told”. Their story touched many people’s heart around the world and gave many an inspiration. “So we decided to write a book” Said Ronit and Moti. ”Through the light in her eyes” is the name of our book which will be published perhaps next year. “Through our story we want to give people everywhere a message of hope, to never give up and to keep pursuing dreams. To know that love can actually come your way”.

What is your message?
“If you believe in love deep inside of you and you have a vision – than go for it”! Moti says.
And Ronit completes: “ Listen &Talk from your heart, don’t judge anyone and learn to trust your intuition, your inner voice”.

What is your secret for making a good couple?
“You should feel bonded and connected to your spouse, also make sure you are understood and listened to by your other half. Talk to each other, no criticism or judgment.”

“Our goal…” says Ronit “…is to pass it on to other couples… The workshops are a great way to learn tools of communication in life, to make our personal life more fulfilling and also to make a better world to live in.

Ronit and Moti have one more dream — to establish a school with a curriculum for politicians, educators, business people, parents and ordinary people that would focus on learning how to listen and how to connect. And we all know what happens when they dream.

157 READERS FROM ALL OVER ISRAEL RESPONDED TO THIS ARTICLE
The following are few of the responses:

1) It is a must movie to produce…

2) I am deeply moved and speechless from reading this love story. When there is resilience towards self fulfillment, it comes through even if it takes a half a century for it to arrive. It is amazing.

3) It is a magically moving story of Destiny. I am so mesmerized and deeply touched, wishing the couple many years of happiness they deserve…

4) It would be interesting to imagine what would have happened if Moti decided to connect Ronit earlier.

5) It is a love story that struck me deeply

6) I visited as a tourist the palisades on the Hudson, the outlook park area where Moti proposed to Ronit.What a breath taking romantic landscape..

7) You will be surprise. I have also been in love with Ronit for many years after her crowning as Miss Israel, but I did not have Moti’s courage, will or luck.

Wow. It is simply an amazing story..

9) True love apparently must win.

10) A mind boggling story

11) Besides being a soul mate, this man must have a pure soul. All these years he did not bother or stocked her, He just waited patiently as if he knew.

12) It is such an amazing story, very unique, very special and very moving.

13) The story is such a special love story both unreal and real

14) They were also on the Oprah Winfrey Show

15) A wonderful moving love story. Mazal Tov to the couple. They deserve one another.

16) I read the story and shed a tear

17) It is an amazing story that is written in a way that swept me away.

18) It is a story taken right from a movie script. I myself would not believe it if I heard it.It is indeed an unbelievably unique story.

19) As a youngster living in Israel in the sixties I was also jubilated when Ronit was crowned as Miss Israel. This is indeed a moving love story that proves that love wins and how.

20) This real life love story is so special that it sounds so unreal.

21) Striking… It gives me also much hope at age 56 to find my true love.

22) An urgent Movie. A Movie must be produced about this couple. I enjoyed so much reading the story that a Movie would be a natural follow up to this story.

23) What a beautiful morning to wake up to with such a moving story on the internet.

24) Tears are falling as I am so excited to read this story.

25) I am shivering from excitement as I read this moving story.

26) They say that love exists like in this story. The story gives me hope that my true love waits for
me too.

27) I also remember Ronit’s royal beauty from my youth. Her poster hung on my bedroom wall In
my eyes she would always remain as the most soulful and royal beauty queen that Israel ever had.

28) I was also Ronit’s admirer when at the Air force academy in Haifa. I would make it a habit to visit her father’s store at the port trying to get a glimpse of her beauty when she often frequented the store. What a surprising compelling article for an old admirer like me.

29) What a moving story. I wish every one to reach such a Destined love.

30) I also secretly admired her beauty when she served at our army base .She is special and deserves such a special love

31) It is absolutely one of the best love stories I ever read and it undoubtedly deserve to become a Movie,

The Psychologist column
A monthly column for Israel Shelanu readers
Translated from Hebrew to English

The price of temptation

Question:

I’m a very attractive 29 years old single female employed successfully in a pharmaceutical company in New York.  My relationships with men are usually superficial and short lived.

Though I can enjoy a friendly relationship with men at work and outside of my place of employment, for some reason, I’m unable to develop a more meaningful and or intimate relationship with any man in my life. I live on my own in the city away from my controlling and invasive parents.

I feel insecure yet I feel good when” dressing to kill” and knowing how attractive is my physical appearance. Very often men complement me for my look that draws their attention but each time a man flatters me and shows a friendly intention to get closer, I am overwhelmed by intense anger and I withdrew into myself. At that moment my mind tells me that this is another example where men desire me only for my body and for my sexy look. Such an episode ends up in my rejection of the particular man and avoidance of him.

It is confusing and difficult for me with this situation, on the one hand to be preoccupied with how my attractive appearance tempts men and draws their attention, and at the same time how it throws me into an angry spin.

I was in treatment for a year and a half, but I was compelled to stop treatment since I felt that my problem was not resolved.

What is happening with me Dr. Peleg and how can I resolve this lingering problem?
Ilana from Queens.

Answer:

Dear Ilana,
Your letter to this column is a positive step that shows you being conscious of your problem and of your sincere intention to resolve it. Your problem is not the men that are attracted to you but the way you perceive yourself and your relationship with those you interact with. 
Your anger and confusion appears to be stemming from the conflicting message you give men which you interact with. On the one hand, you are pulled uncontrollably to preoccupation with your “sexy look” and the impact your sex-appeal has on men. On the other hand you find yourself becoming angry for the attention they give you as your subconscious mind evoke in you fears of being  invaded or degraded.

It is very likely that the root of your confusion lies in the complex intimate relationship you experienced with your parents at home where intimacy and sexuality appear to be intensely associated with shame. From your question there seem to be a fear of a meaningful closer relationship, and a tendency to sabotage it before anyone would have a chance to get to know you on a personal level. 
It appears that by tempting men you might feel a momentary superficial satisfaction, a kind of false control over men. Such a control is imaginary and is passing. What is left from the experience is a disappointment and self directed anger for the men that fell for you and into the trap you created. Feeling of helplessness associated with uncontrollable compulsion to repeat this pattern re-occurs just like an addiction which needs to be explored.

This problem can be treated in insight oriented psychotherapy with the goal of identifying and working through your subconscious fears that manufacture the drama you are caught in. In addition, involvement in self improvement and self awareness classes should strengthen your self image and lead to improved socialization and intimate relationship in your life.

Dr. Peleg is a licensed psychologist with a Clinic in Ridgewood New Jersey, who is an expert in couples intimate communication, compulsive/addicted behavior and depression.

He fulfilled his dream. More than four decades he was dreaming of the one he loved.

Now after he married her, he is moving on to fulfill further dreams.

This is Dr. Moti Peleg a successful psychologist that deep in his heart always desired to be on stage with his sensual baritone voice and share his romantic songs with the world.

This week was rich with event. Among them we saw Dr. Moti Peleg getting on stage at the “Casa Romana” restaurant/club located in Queens.

But don’t be misunderstood, all the romantic songs, including “Ronit Ronit” which was written by Shimrit Or, an Israeli hits writer and Moti Peleg, were dedicated to the former beauty queen Ronit Rinat — the woman Dr. Peleg yearned to embrace for over 40 years.

Many of their friends came to support and enjoy a romantic evening. 
The worm-up performers had chosen romantic songs as well as the concert theme “Love songs of all times” performed one after the other they got on stage; Ezra Zehavi, Ilan Mamber and the Diva Esty Tzabar Crisona that no microphone could go against her high soprano voice.

Among the guests were present Amos Tayar (Owner of Mega-Safe) and his beautiful wife Hagit,  Dr. Arye Raveh, the kindergarten teacher Rachel Goren, Aviva Musayeff, Vivie Craft (President of the Hadasa-Reut organization), Avraham Barzily and his lovley lady Naomi, Ruby Young, and many more. The conductor of the evening was Carmeli Kaspi the talented art director and owner of Carmeli Studio. On the dance floor shined the gorgeous lady Batya Dadnovsky the well known Travel agent owner.

Well done Moti! You did it!

Israeli viewers, who watched Oprah Winfrey’s show last Wednesday, in a live broadcast from the Oprah’s Harpo production studios in Chicago thought they were dreaming. The well known local Psychologist and singer Dr. Moti Peleg appeared on stage seating along side of his beautiful wife Ronit Rinat and was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.

The royal couple set there in front of Oprah, the diva of  talk shows, sharing their outstanding love story with the viewers.
Right before the interview, the production team showed a clip of three minutes long script produced prior to the show at the couple’s apartment in NY which focused on the couple’s love story – Ronit Rinat former beauty queen and psychologist and singer Dr. Moti Peleg — a true love story of all times.

After the show they were driven by a limo to the airport. People stopped them and asked to shake their hands and talk to them as well as asking for their autographs.

An old couple in the airport was the first one to immediately recognize them. They were happy to see real life lovers, Workers at a Japanese restaurant at the Airport immediately recognized them and welcomed them as the couple from Oprah. People everywhere, strangers to Moti and Ronit who passed by, told them that they were amazed how an Israeli couple found their way to appear at the most popular talk show with over 40 millions viewers every day.

The truth of the matter was that Oprah’s producers read about Ronit and Moti’s story in an article in one of  New Jersey’ reputable Newspaper,” The Record” when searching for a love story for their show” Greatest love story ever told”.

When they called Dr. Peleg to coordinate their arrival to Chicago, they heard from him that Ronit would be coming from Israel for the show so they decided to document their meeting in the Airport and integrate it into the filming of the story. Prior to the show the production team hosted Ronit and Moti’s arrival to Chicago, driving them with a limo to a beautiful suite in a five star hotel and treated them as celebrities.

During the interview Moti was a little bit nervous and stressed. He related that “Oprah is a wonderful woman, loving, caring, romantic and a soulful spirited person. Most of all she has a big heart and is a giant humanitarian” stated Moti.

“She is so charming, vibrant and so full of joy, being an intelligent woman.” Ronit added to Moti’s description.
Their love story as many of you already know, began  40 years ago when Moti saw Ronit’s picture on the front cover of a very popular magazine in Israel called “Lahish” and on the spot he fell in love with the striking, gorgeous beauty queen. For years he carried her icon in his heart. He got married to an American woman whom he loved and respected allot, brought two kids to the world, but he always felt something was missing in his life.

Many years later he got divorced and began to look for the love of his life. Moti found out that Ronit lost her husband and moved from L.A. back to Israel.

He called her, told her how he felt about her all these years and sent her a CD music with a song he wrote and sang only for her: “Where are you woman? Where are you child? Where are you the soul I was looking for?”

On her way from Israel to visit her family in L.A., Ronit listened to the song and the lyrics mesmerized her and captured her heart and soul.

On December 31, New Years Eve of 2004 they finally met.

“In Israel I’m the director of an organization called “council” a workshop I took with my deceased husband at the USA right before he became ill. This was a workshop that gave us the tools to learn to listen to each other, with no criticism, and with no judgment” said Ronit. “It helps people to communicate better with one another. When I came to Moti’s house at the first time we talked over 3 hours. We listened to each other, we laughed and cried. I brought to this circle the child I was and Moti did the same. The connection between our souls was remarkable and I thought to myself, how lucky I was to find such a true love. I could have lost it easily if I hang up the phone the first time Moti called me. To me his story was a like a fiction. But somehow, something deep inside of me told me I shouldn’t interrupt this energy. Even though I’m over 60 now and I have grandchildren I know this connection was meant to be.  Our objective in the workshops is to give people the inspiration to make their dreams come true, to believe in themselves and never loose hope. Dreams do come true.